Cardiff 10k road closures and travel advice as event returns
Thousands of runners are set to hit the streets of the capital this weekend as the Cardiff[1] 10K returns once again. The popular race, which has been going for 38 years, will take place on Sunday, September 3.
The flat and fast route takes participants on a tour of the city and goes past some of Cardiff’s most well-known sights including Cardiff Castle and the Principality Stadium. The event attracts casual runners and top athletes alike and there are also races for children and families including a 2K fun run with fancy dressed very much encouraged.
It comes after last year’s race, organised by Front Runner Events, was cancelled after those behind the event said delivering it had “proven far more challenging than anticipated” due to circumstances beyond their control.[2] Earlier this year Run 4 Wales (R4W), the country’s leading mass participation events company, announced it had taken over the operation of the Cardiff 10K and added it to its portfolio of major events[3].
The race was established by Welsh charity Kidney Wales in 1985. R4W announced that Kidney Wales will become the lead charity of the event, joining other partners supporting the event such as HIGH5, Brecon[5] Carreg, and Bridgend[6] Ford
The 10k will begin at 10am in King Edward VII Avenue in the Civic Centre. It will journey through the heart of the city centre before crossing the River Taff and heading towards Pontcanna, Llandaff Fields, and Pontcanna Fields. Participants will then pass Sophia Gardens, before returning and finishing at the Civic Centre.
Meanwhile the fun run will start at 9.15am and the children’s one-mile Future Challengers Race will begin at 10.10am. Registration has now closed for the races but spectators are welcome to cheer on the runners from the side-lines. Cardiff Council[7] has announced road closures and issued travel advice ahead of the big event.
Road closures
A programme of rolling road closures will be implemented along the route from 9am until no later than 1pm. The streets affected are:
- North Road, from its junction with Colum Road to the junction with Boulevard de Nantes. Access to Blackweir via Park Place/Corbett Road and access to Queen Ann Square will be managed via Colum Road/Corbett Road and exiting will be via Corbett Road onto Colum Road
- North Road south of its junction with Boulevard de Nantes to its junction with the A1461
- The A1461 from its junction with North Road to its junction with Kingsway
- Kingsway from its junction with the A1461 to its junction with Duke Street
- Duke Street and Castle Street in their entirety
- Cowbridge Road East from its junction with Castle Street to its junction with Cathedral Road
- Boulevard de Nantes from its junction with Park Place/Stuttgart’s Strasse through to its junction with North Road
- The Friary and Friary Gardens, Westgate Street, Wood Street, Golate, Guildhall Place, Quay Street, Central Square, Scott Road, Havelock Street, and Park Street
- St Mary Street from its junction with Mill Lane through to Guildhall Place
- High Street from its junction with Castle Street to its junction with Guildhall Place
- Tudor Street from its junction with Clare Road
- Fitzhamon Embankment, Despenser Street, Despenser Lane, Despenser Place, Plantaganet Street, Beauchamp Street, Clare Street, Lower Cathedral Road, Brook Street, Mark Street, Green Street, Coldstream Terrace
- Cowbridge Road East from its junction with Cathedral Road to its junction with Neville Street/Wellington Street
- Neville Street from its junction with Cowbridge Road East to its junction with Lower Cathedral Road
- Wellington Street from its junction with Leckwith Road (inbound towards the city centre)
- Cowbridge Road East from its junction with Kings Road
- Cathedral Road from its junction with Cowbridge Road East to its junction with Penhill Road
- All side roads that exit on to Cathedral Road
- Hamilton Street, Talbot Street, Sophia Close, Sophia Walk, Spine Road in Sophia Gardens, Plasturton Place, Dyfrig Street, Kyveilog Street, Sneyd Street, Dogo Street, Berthwin Street, Teilo Street, Gileston Road, Meldwin Street, Fairleigh Road, Fields Park Road, Denbigh Street, Fairleigh Court, and Heol Wilf Wooller
- Penhill Road from its junction with Llandaff/Cardiff Road (inbound only)
- A lane closure will also be in place on Western Avenue from Excelsior Road to its junction with Mill Lane
The banned right turn from Colum Road into Corbett Road will be revoked to facilitate access to Queen Anne Square only, Cardiff Council has said. This will be controlled by traffic management stewards.
Train disruption
There is a train strike planned for Saturday, September 2, and rail companies recommend checking your journey in advance as there could be some alterations and cancellations to services on Sunday.
While Transport for Wales (TfW) is not involved in the industrial action Great Western Railway (GWR) has warned on its website[8] that while trains will run as planned on Sunday there will be “some changes to service start-up and some planned cancellations”.
However, there will be no TfW services all day on Sunday between Treherbert and Pontypridd[9] due to engineering work for the South Wales Metro. The rest of the TfW timetable will be operating as normal but trains between Newport, Cardiff, and Swansea[10] are expected to be busier than usual as a result of the industrial action taking place at other operators.
TfW is advising people only to travel by rail if their journey is essential on the South Wales main line between Carmarthen[11] and Newport[12] and between Cardiff and Lydney. You can check full times on the TfW[13] website[14] and online journey planners before you travel. Where services are running they may be subject to late-notice changes.
Bus
Bus services will be diverted while the city centre road closures are in place. Cardiff Bus has announced the following diversions which will be in place from 9am to 12.45pm.
4 City Centre to Leckwith
From 9am to 11.20am buses will start/end from Taffs Mead Embankment (stop two)
9 Heath Hospital towards Sports Village
From 9am to 11.20am buses will run through the city centre via Station Terrace, Bute Terrace (calling at Raddison Blu bus stop), Callaghan Square, and Penarth[15] Road. Buses will not serve Philharmonic, Wood Street, Tudor Street, or Clare Road. From 11.20am to 12.45pm buses will run through the city centre via Station Terrace, Bute Terrace (calling at Raddison Blu bus stop), Philharmonic, Wood Street (stop JR), and Tudor Street.
9 Sports Village towards Heath Hospital
From 9am to 11.20am buses will run their normal route to Penarth Road then run to Bute Terrace via Penarth Road and Callaghan Square. Stops at Clare Road, Tudor Street, and Wyndham Arcade will not be served. From 11.20am onwards buses will return to normal route via Clare Road, Tudor Street, and Wyndham Arcade to Bute Street.
11 City Centre to Pengam Green
From 9am to 12.45pm buses will start and end from their usual stop at Hayes Bridge Road. However buses will enter the city centre via Station Terrace and Bute Terrace not serving Dumfries Place, Greyfriars Road, Kingsway, or Westgate Street
13 City Centre to Drope and 17 and 18 City Centre to Ely
From 9am to 12.45pm buses will start/end from Taffs Mead Embankment (stop end). Stops at Despenser Street, Fitzhamon Embankment, Wood Street, Westgate Street, Cardiff Bridge, and St David’s Hospital will not be served.
21 and 23 City Centre – Whitchurch – Rhiwbina – City Centre, and 27 City Centre to Thornhill
From 9am to 12.45pm buses will start and end from Greyfriars Road entering and exiting via Park Place and Colum Road in both directions. Stops at Westgate Street, Kingsway, and Corbett Road will not be served.
24 City Centre – Whitchurch – Llandaff – City Centre
The 8.20am departure will start from Westgate Street as normal and follow normal route through Whitchurch and Llandaff then run to Greyfriars Road via Western Avenue, Gabalfa Interchange, North Road, Colum Road, and Park Place. Stops at Howells School[16], Penhill, Llandaff Fields, Cathedral Road, and Westgate Street will not be served.
The 10.15am, 11.15am, and 12.15pm departures will start from Taffs Mead Embankment and run to The Philog via Clare Street, Neville Street, Cowbridge Road East, Llandaff Road, Cardiff Road, Western Avenue, and Gabalfa Interchange. Stops at Westgate Street and along North Road will not be served.
The 9.15am departure will start from Greyfriars Road but end at Taffs Mead Embankment, running between Penhill and Taffs Mead via Llandaff Road, Cowbridge Road East, Neville Street, Clare Street, and Clare Road. Stops at Penhill, Llandaff Fields, Cathedral Road, and Westgate Street will not be served.
25 City Centre – Llandaff – Whitchurch – City Centre
The 8.45am departure will start from Wood Street as normal and follow normal route through Llandaff and Whitchurch, then run to Taffs Mead Embankment via Gabalfa Interchange, Western Avenue, Cardiff Road, Llandaff Road, Cowbridge Road East, Neville Street, Clare Street and Clare Road. Bus stops along North Road, Kingsway and Westgate Street will not be served on the inbound section of the journey.
The 9:45am and 10.45am departures will start from Taffs Mead Embankment and exit the city centre via Clare Street, Neville Street, Cowbridge Road East and Llandaff Road. Buses will follow normal route from Palace Road to Whitchurch, then at Gabalfa Interchange will divert via Western Avenue, Cardiff Road, Llandaff Road, Neville Street and Clare Street to Taffs Mead Embankment. Stops along North Road, Kingsway and Westgate Street will not be served.
The 11.45am departure from start from Taffs Mead Embankment and exit the city centre via Clare Street and Cathedral Road, and then normal route through Llandaff and Whitchurch. From Gabalfa Interchange this journey will divert via Western Avenue, Cardiff Road, Penhill Road, Cathedral Road and Clare Street to Taffs Mead Embankment. Stops along North Road, Kingsway and Westgate Street will not be served.
28 City Centre to Thornhill
From 9am to 12.45pm buses will start and end at their usual stop at Hayes Bridge Road. However buses will enter the city centre via Station Terrace, Bute Terrace not serving Dumfries Place, Greyfriars Road, Kingsway or Westgate Street.
30 Cardiff to Newport
From 9am to 12.45pm the service will start and end at Customhouse Street JG (normal stop). However buses will enter the city centre via Station Terrace, Bute Terrace not serving Dumfries Place, Greyfriars Road, Kingsway or Westgate Street
35 City Centre to Gabalfa
From 9am to 12.45pm buses will start and end at Greyfriars Road. Stops at Westgate Street and Kingsway will not be served.
44 and 45 City Centre to St Mellons, and 49 and 50 City Centre to Llanrumney
From 9am to 12.45pm buses will start and end at Bute Terrace (behind John Lewis). Stops at Dumfries Place, Greyfriars Road, Kingsway, Castle Street, and Royal Hotel will not be served.
52 City Centre to Cyncoed, and 57 and 58 City Centre to Pontprennau
From 9am to 12.45pm buses will start and end at Customhouse Street JG. Stops at Dumfries Place, Greyfriars Road, Kingsway, Castle Street, and Royal Hotel will not be served.
61 City Centre to Pentrebane
From 9am to 12.45pm buses will start and end at Taffs Mead Embankment (stop three). Stops at Despenser Street, Fitzhamon Embankment, Westgate Street, Cardiff Bridge, and St David’s Hospital will not be served.
63 City Centre to Creigiau
From 9am to 12.45pm buses will start and end at Taffs Mead Embankment (stop three). From 9am to 11.35am buses will run between Taffs Mead Embankment and Palace Road via Clare Road, Clare Street, Neville Street, Cowbridge Road East and Llandaff Road in both directions. Bus stops along Penhill Road and Cathedral Road will not be served. From 11.35am to 12.45am buses will run between Taffs Mead Embankment and Palace Road via Clare Road, Clare Street and Cathedral Road.
92 Cardiff to Penarth, 94 Cardiff to Barry via Sully, 95 Cardiff to Barry via Dinas Powys
From 9am to 11.20am buses will start and end from Taffs Mead Embankment (stop two). Stops on Tudor Street and Wood Street will not be served.
96 Cardiff to Barry via Wenvoe
From 9am to 12.45pm buses will start and end from Taffs Mead Embankment (stop two). Stops at Despenser Street, Fitzhamon Embankment, Wood Street, Westgate Street, Cardiff Bridge, and St David’s Hospital will not be served.
National Express coaches will use Sophia Gardens as usual, the council has confirmed. For Stagecoach and NAT services visit their websites for more information about specific bus routes.
Shopping parking
Cardiff Council advises shoppers to make use of the dedicated shopping park and ride sites at Pentwyn or County Hall. City centre car parks are also available: North Road Car Parks, St David’s Shopping Centre, John Lewis, Capitol Shopping Centre, and NCP (Adam Street, Dumfries Place and Greyfriars Road.)
Disabled parking
The council has advised disabled drivers to use Sophia Gardens. Disabled parking is also available at various private car parks. Users should check individual websites for availability.
Taxis
St Mary Street taxi rank (outside the old House of Fraser store) will not be affected by this event.
References
- ^ Cardiff (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ beyond their control. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ added it to its portfolio of major events (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ Colourful scenes as 2023 Butetown Carnival takes place (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ Brecon (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ Bridgend (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ Cardiff Council (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ website (www.gwr.com)
- ^ Pontypridd (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ Swansea (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ Carmarthen (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ Newport (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ check full times on the TfW (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ website (tfw.wales)
- ^ Penarth (www.walesonline.co.uk)
- ^ School (www.walesonline.co.uk)